Donald E. Pederson was born on July 18, 1933 in Compton, California. He received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from
the University of Southern California in 1961. Beginning in 1967 Pederson worked for the architect Charles K. Schmandt, then
he opened a firm of his own in 1969. Over the course of his career his more notable works include: the Hitchcock Office building
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) and the Taco Siesta restaurant (Pasadena, Calif.).